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Kaitlynn Curtner suffered massive bleeding in her brain when she was 12. Doctors say it was caused by an arteriovenous malformation, or AVM. The Tarrant County girl survived, but the condition affected her short-term memory.

Not since Wham!’s 1984 single “Last Christmas” has a holiday song been accepted widely into the canon. The good ones made later usually follow the lead of the classics in at least one way: they pine for another time or place. Music historian Ted Gioia, author of The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire and the forthcoming Love Songs: A Hidden History, explains why the past - or our idea of it - is a comfort each season.

Benjamin Curtis, who died Sunday at age 35 after a battle with lymphoblastic lymphoma, was the drummer in Dallas bands UFOFU and Tripping Daisy. But he came out from behind the kit to give so much more. Curtis showed what he could do as a guitarist for Secret Machines, fronted by his brother Brandon. The release of their debut album Now Here Is Nowhere electrified the indie rock landscape in 2004 with a big, brave sound. The expansive guitar on that record was just the beginning of his wider contributions to music.

Sarah Jaffe got her start strumming and singing in the clubs of Denton and Deep Ellum. Her third album, Don't Disconnect, was released Tuesday and fans from the old days may not recognize her. The 28-year-old has embraced a new, lush electronic dance sound.